There must be a light under the bushel!

My, how life changes!

Ok, it's Friday night at 1:00 am. Two years ago, I would be wound up hoping the night wasn't going to end. I might even be lining up plans for tomorrow night to get the most I could out of the weekend. I would end the funfest Sunday night at a local pub playing pool and trying to keep Monday from creeping in.

Instead, I'm planning to go puppy shopping for my grandmother and then birthday shopping for my friend's four-year-old son. Sunday is the birthday party at the skating rink with 35 other little kids, and I'm debating whether to attempt roller skating after a 15 year hiatus from my beloved sport.

My friend, Mindy, has been psyched up telling me I have to skate for old times' sake. I've known her since we were 11 years old, and we spent many hours rolling around the hardwood rink near our old neighborhood. I really thought I was the roller skating diva, I have to say. Mindy spent most of her time cosied up with her flavor of the week (she was a tease, even in middle school!). I, however, wanted to be the fastest skater. I particularly loved racing the boys and kicking their asses! I won a lot of pickles.

More than racing, though, I loved skating backwards. I don't know what that says about my personality that I would rather face the world from the wrong direction, but I don't think anything in adult life can compare to the carefree, happy feeling of exhiliration created from simple enjoyment of an activity I loved.

I don't think it's even possible to try and recreate that feeling at this age, but I can tell you that if I fall, it's going to hurt a lot more now than it did then!